Romania's black cigarette market stood at 8.3 percent of the total consumption this September, in line with the previous months, but higher compared to the 2022 average of 7.1 percent, shows a survey by Novel Research."In September 2023, the black market remains steady in almost all the regions of the country. Among the new elements worth mentioning for September's survey is the inclusion of Bulgaria among the main sources of smuggled tobacco products. With a share of 16.8 percent and an upward trend in the last year, Bulgaria is third in place as regards smuggled tobacco products, after duty-free outlets and cheap whites. Also, the survey carried out in the last months no longer identified cigarettes smuggled from Ukraine. There is a downward trend in the share of products from Moldova (7.6 percent), while Serbia is constant," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu in a press release on Wednesday.Citing data on the platform StopContrabanda.ro, BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru said that year-to-date, the Romanian authorities have captured about 105 million contraband cigarettes, more than double the amount in the same period last year.Head of the Romanian Customs Authority Ion Cupa said that 10 million illegal cigarettes were discovered in a recent raid carried out in the counties of Suceava and Teleorman, during which customs inspectors provided specialist assistance alongside representatives of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Organized Crime Directorate, the Directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes, and the Border Police General Inspectorate.In 2022, tobacco companies funnelled about 20 billion RON to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions.
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, congratulated Pope Leo XIV for succeeding Pope Francis on Thursday, May 8. He expressed confidence that the new pope will continue to promote "the spirit of dialogue, peace, and cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church." "In a world facing multiple spiritual, economic, and […]
The organizers of the Untold festival announced they will offer a RON 150 (EUR 30) voucher toward the purchase of a festival pass to anyone who votes on May 18, during the second round of the presidential elections. In an online message, Untold representatives emphasized the connection between civic participation and the future of every […]
The Open Streets program, which sees the city's major arteries close for car traffic and become pedestrian areas, returns this weekend with a program of exhibitions, concerts, and a Festival of Lights. On Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m., the public is invited to the Made in Romania exhibition, which presents a selection of civilian […]
Joseph Stiglitz, the famous economist and professor at Columbia University in New York, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economy in 2001, told an audience in Cluj, Romania, that governments must stimulate exports and key sectors when facing deficits. Stiglitz was in Romania on Thursday, May 8, to receive the title of Doctor Honoris […]
The Constitutional Court unanimously validated on Friday, May 9, the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It also rejected as unfounded a request to annul the elections filed by Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, the presidential candidate of the New Romania Party, it announced. The runoff, set for May 18, will see ultranationalist leader George […]
Bucharest's culinary scene welcomes back OLEA, the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel's celebrated Mediterranean destination, now reimagined with a fresh concept that blends authentic coastal flavours with contemporary sophistication. Following an extensive transformation, OLEA reopens its doors to offer guests a refined journey through the Mediterranean's sun-drenched culinary traditions, right in the heart of Romania's […]
